Baros

October 5, 1895- Lincoln, Nebraska
For several days past rumors have been afloat concerning a reputed discovery of gold in Seward county, but as similar sensational discoveries heretofore have invariably proven shortlived, but little attention has been paid to them. But it now develops that there is either considerable foundation for the rumors or else there are a good many people in Lincoln who are being mighty badly fooled, and the Lincoln people interested feel satisfied that the latter is not the case. It appears from facts now available that for years the Burlington railroad in Nebraska has been ballasting its tracks with gold, for out in Seward county, about half way between Milford and Pleasant Dale, is an old gravel pit that is just now the nucleus of an exciting scramble for land. Gold has been discovered in rich stores in the gravel taken from that neglected pit. It is related that years ago a man who was en route to California discovered gold in the sands of that vicinity, but as there was no way at that time available of working the sand to advantage, he went on and the matter was dropped. Some time ago he returned to Nebraska and since his arrival the excitement has been created. The first revival was over the reported finding of gold on the farm of a widow named Muff, in Saline county some time ago, but in a short time it passed over until about the middle of last month, when it broke out in a new place. This time it was at the point indicated, about three miles from Milford. J. S. Dillenbeck owns something like 700 acres of land in the vicinity, and lives on an eighty acre tract. The old Burlington sand pit is located partly on that tract, but extends over upon others. It was here that he began r,vnnprt''nr. He first visited the Saline county find and discovered that the formation or drift was the same as that upon his farm. He began work and in due time had some of the sand and gravel from different parts of his farm in the hands of assayers to Denver, and sent some of it in to Denver, and received in reply a certificate of an assay by W. C. Winger, assayer of that city, showing that one specimen ran $136 in gold dust to the ton. Another ran $162 and another $71.20. Then he brought some in to Prof. Nicholson taken from different parts of his property, and it ran $76 to the ton.
If there were anything crooked in the conduct of Dillenbeck in relation to the find, it would have been natural for him to boom his find and then sell out at a good round price. But instead of that he went to work and bought 120 acres more adjoining his already large possessions. Then he began to try and interest others with a view of having the property developed. In due course of time he let David Nefsky of this city into the secret. Jules Baros owned a 40-acre tract that lay right in the gold-bearing bolt, and Nefsky concluded that he wanted it. But before concluding to buy it he went out and looked it over, securing several bags of sand and gravel from various portions of it, making the elections of localities himself. Some of the sand he took to Prof Nickolson for assay, and received chances from that authority that it r in gold and silver combined, but rich in gold. $122.20 to the ton. Then Nefsky went right out to Baros' place, bought it, paying $1,200 for it, or $30 an acre. Before Dillenbeck whispered the precious information to Nefsky. He had done a similar service to Banker H. T. Jones of Seward, who at once purchased an adjoining tract of land from Philip Stoltz, and also to Banker Shadduck of Milford. They hustled around and bought an eighty-acre tract from a farmer named F.adke, paying only ?? an acre for it. In fact Shadduck appears to have been the first man o Fuccv-rr.h to th- -scil'-ml. buying his tract of land on the l'-h of September. It was on the lMh that Pillenb-Ck bought his additional 1M acres.

Kit Carson County, Colorado Histories

Kit Carson County, Colorado
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